Film forming method and apparatus

Abstract

A film forming method, for depositing a thin film on a surface of a substrate mounted on a mounting table disposed in a vacuum processing chamber, includes an adsorption process for adsorbing a film forming material on the substrate by introducing a source gas into the processing chamber; and a reaction process for carrying out a film forming reaction, after the adsorption process, by introducing an energy transfer gas into the processing chamber and supplying thermal energy to the film forming material adsorbed on the substrate. By repeating the above process, the thin film is formed on the substrate in a layer-by-layer manner.

1 . A film forming apparatus comprising:
 a processing chamber, accommodating therein a substrate, for performing a film forming process;   a mounting table for mounting thereon the substrate in the processing chamber;   a source gas inlet for introducing a source gas into the processing chamber;   an energy transfer gas inlet, which includes a plurality of gas injection openings, for injecting an energy transfer gas through the gas injection openings toward a surface of the substrate mounted on the mounting table in the processing chamber;   a gas exhaust unit for vacuum exhausting an inside of the processing chamber and;   a heater unit for heating the energy transfer gas,   wherein the heater unit is disposed in the energy transfer gas inlet such that the energy transfer gas is heated by the heater unit before being injected from the gas injections openings into the inside of the processing chamber.   
   
   
       2 . The film forming apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the heater unit includes cylindrical ceramic members and resistances embedded in a coil shape in the ceramic member, each of the gas injection openings being surrounded by one of the cylindrical ceramic members. 
   
   
       3 . The film forming apparatus of  claim 2 , wherein insulation members are provided around the cylindrical ceramic members to thermally insulate the heater unit. 
   
   
       4 . The film forming apparatus of  claim 3 , wherein the insulation members are made of a material selected from the group consisting of heat resistant synthetic resin, quartz and ceramic. 
   
   
       5 . The film forming apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the energy transfer gas inlet includes a shower head disposed in an upper portion of the processing chamber and having the gas injection openings and a diffusion space disposed thereabove and the heater unit installed in the diffusion space. 
   
   
       6 . The film forming apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the heater unit includes cylindrical heaters, each of which has an elongated cylindrical container made of an insulation material and a bar-shaped resistance installed in the elongated cylindrical container. 
   
   
       7 . The film forming apparatus of  claim 6 , wherein the cylindrical container is provided with a gas inlet for introducing the energy transfer gas there into a plurality of gas outlets communicating with the gas injection openings, and the energy transfer gas is heated while passing through an inside of the cylindrical container. 
   
   
       8 . The film forming apparatus of  claim 7 , wherein the cylindrical heaters are disposed side by side. 
   
   
       9 . The film forming apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein power is supplied from a heater power supply to the heater unit via a lead line. 
   
   
       10 . The film forming apparatus of  claim 6 , wherein the bar-shape resistance is connected with a heater power supply via lead lines, thereby rapidly heating the energy transfer gas at an inside of the cylindrical container by supplying electrical power to the heater unit. 
   
   
       11 . A film forming apparatus comprising:
 a processing chamber, accommodating therein a substrate, for performing a film forming process;   a mounting table for mounting thereon the substrate in the processing chamber;   a source gas inlet for introducing a source gas into the processing chamber;   an energy transfer gas inlet, which includes a plurality of gas injection openings, for injecting an energy transfer gas through the gas injection openings toward a surface of the substrate mounted on the mounting table in the processing chamber;   a gas exhaust unit for vacuum exhausting an inside of the processing chamber;   a heater unit for heating the energy transfer gas; and   a power supply connected to the heater unit to supply an electric power thereto,   wherein the heater unit is disposed inside the energy transfer gas inlet so that the energy transfer gas is heated by being introduced into the energy transfer gas inlet.   
   
   
       12 . The film forming apparatus of  claim 11 , wherein the heater unit includes cylindrical ceramic members and resistances embedded in a coil shape in the ceramic member, each of the gas injection openings being surrounded by one of the cylindrical ceramics members. 
   
   
       13 . The films forming apparatus of  claim 12 , wherein insulation members are provided around the cylindrical ceramic members to thermally insulate the heater unit. 
   
   
       14 . The film forming apparatus of  claim 13 , wherein the insulation members are made of a material selected from the group consisting of heat resistant synthetic resin, quartz and ceramic. 
   
   
       15 . The film forming apparatus of  claim 11 , wherein the energy transfer gas inlet includes a shower head disposed in an upper portion of the processing chamber and having the gas injection openings and a diffusion space disposed thereabove and the heater unit installed in the diffusion space. 
   
   
       16 . The film forming apparatus of  claim 11 , wherein the heater unit includes cylindrical heaters, each of which has an elongated cylindrical container made of an insulation material and a bas-shaped resistance installed in the elongated cylindrical container. 
   
   
       17 . The film forming apparatus of  claim 16 , wherein the cylindrical container is provided with a gas inlet for introducing the energy transfer gas thereinto a plurality of gas outlets communicating with the gas injection openings, and the energy transfer gas is heated while passing through an inside of the cylindrical container. 
   
   
       18 . The film forming apparatus of  claim 17 , wherein the cylindrical heaters are disposed side by side. 
   
   
       19 . The film forming apparatus of  claim 16 , wherein the bar-shape resistance is connected with the power supply via lead lines, thereby rapidly heating the energy transfer gas at an inside of the cylindrical container by supplying electrical power to the heater unit.